The wood in cue sticks can have properties that affect the appearance and performance of the cue stick. The butt of wood cue sticks often include decorative phenolic annular rings which are fitted and glued over a narrowed neck section of the butt and have an outer diameter that matches the adjacent diameter of the butt. The phenolic rings can shrink radially inwardly and become smaller in diameter than the adjacent diameter of the butt, resulting in an undesirable appearance. In addition, in a multiple piece cue stick, the coupling joints for securing the pieces together can be glued within the mating ends of the pieces. The glued coupling joints can shift into an off center position, thereby affecting the performance of the cue stick when assembled together.